The Big Apple
by Dizzydodo
Summary: "You were iced for sixty years, kicked major alien butt at the battle of New York, sat down and played a fully interactive virtual reality game with Tony yesterday… and it's the size of these apples that is keeping you awake at night?" Some things take a little more adjusting than others, and Steve isn't above using that to charm Darcy into a date.


A.N.: I have no excuse for this except that it wouldn't leave me alone. Rated for vague suggestiveness and a tiny bit of language, but nothing too objectionable. Cheesy as all get-out, you have been warned.

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"I just want to be sure I have this right." Darcy tossed her apple from hand to hand, lips pursing as she desperately fought back a smile, all in vain because he could see it reflected there in her dark eyes.

"You were iced for sixty years, kicked major alien ass at the battle of New York, sat down and played a fully interactive virtual reality game with Tony yesterday… and it's the size of these apples that is keeping you awake at night? Those are my kind of priorities, and Jane can tell you right now that's not a good thing."

Steve begged to disagree, but he knew better than to argue with Miss Lewis before she had taken her second cup of coffee. That would inevitably lead to his defeat, and a wise man learned to pick his battles carefully after the third or so time being routed by a woman a solid foot smaller than he. Though to his mind, saving the animal population of a small New Mexican town would never qualify as bad judgment and after meeting Loki, Steve could safely say that he understood the impulse to taser a god. Even if she had tased the wrong one.

"They're as big as my fist." He clenched his hand to demonstrate, acutely aware of the way Miss Lewis' eyes focused on the flex of muscles not concealed at all by his t-shirt. He could admit in the privacy of his own thoughts that he had maybe considered that before he had chosen one of his older shirts this morning. "When I grew up they were…" He pinched his fingers together, exaggerating the size difference.

All the while Darcy's eyes followed his movements, shamelessly enjoying the way his shirt stretched across solid abs and pecs that practically crooned _Lean on Me_. She took a considering bite of the apple, completely oblivious to the guilty blush staining Steve's ears pink and stealing down the back of his neck. "I guess I can understand. We had an apple tree once- never grew anything bigger than a strawberry. But I still think I'd be a little more awed by the whole freakin' internet, or late night TV. Ack, sorry. Did you want this?" She proffered the apple, glancing back at the bowl on the table behind her to see if there were any left.

Of course not. She had stolen Captain America's morning snack, and she would have bet her lucky penny he was too much of a gentleman to complain. "I'll replace it, I-"

 _Promise_. Only she couldn't get the last word out because Steve had twined a calloused hand about her wrist, drawing the apple toward his own mouth. Pure mischief lit the gaze he fixed unflinchingly on her. Darcy's breath came short, time seeming to freeze as he took an ostentatious bite from her apple- and thief or not, how dare he re-pilfer his own food from her? Admittedly, it was a little hard to stay offended when he grinned with such childlike glee as he chewed and swallowed, finally releasing her hand, much to her unspoken disappointment.

"How do you like that apple?" If her voice was a little breathier than usual, Darcy assured herself it wasn't everyday the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way went in for a secondhand kiss. It counted as something, even if it wasn't quite the earth-shattering, Hallelujah Chorus make out they may or may not have shared in one or two of her idle daydreams.

"Not as sweet as I remember, but I like the tartness." His tongue darted out to catch a last taste of the lingering flavor, unerringly drawing Darcy's eyes to the full curve of his mouth.

Scrambling for something to say, she blurted out the first half-witty thing that came to mind: "Honestly I thought you'd be a little more careful about taking any apples a woman offered."

Steve's eyes widened in surprise at her flirtatious tone, but Darcy cocked a hip and stared back, daring him to comment after the daring stunt he had pulled a second ago.

"Adam and Eve? We're a little overdressed." Where had his shyness gone? He was smirking at her now, daring her to pick up the gauntlet with no trace of that charming blush she had hoped to provoke; the one that started in his ears and worked its way down his chest to the intriguing dip of his shirt.

"I think you should at least take me to dinner first."

There it was, stealing from his ears to his cheeks to turn both visibly red. Darcy wasn't about to fall for it, not now that she had personally witnessed that devilish side everyone else but her had already made the acquaintance of.

"I'd love to. Does tonight work for you?"

Now his ploy was obvious: the too-tight, practically transparent in sunlight shirt, the new jeans that hugged his hips like they'd never let go and windswept blond hair that could only have been by design. Clever, too clever by half.

The set of his shoulders was confident verging on arrogant, and the quirk of his lips suggested he already knew the answer, but he was shifting his weight nervously, and that blush had only darkened as the silence stretched on. Somewhere under the Captain America good looks, there was still a very anxious Steve Rogers wondering if he'd get the girl.

Thinking back to what few pictures she had seen of Steve before the serum, Darcy knew he would've had a _yes_ then too. Sweet, awkward smiles had always done funny things to her heartbeat, particularly when they came from Steve, but that just wasn't the sort of thing a girl could confess until at least the third date.

She took another bite of the apple, returning his fading smirk with interest. "I'm off at seven. Chinese and Netflix sound good?"

"Perfect."

If she had thought his smile did funny things to her before, Darcy hadn't been prepared for the thousand watt grin he turned on her now. She hurried out of the kitchen before she did something they would really regret, like suggest that maybe the apple would taste sweeter if he kissed the taste from her lips or wonder aloud if she could lean into his chest and bask in the warmth he radiated from every pore. That was definitely third date material, and first she had to talk him into a second.

Had she glanced back in his direction again before leaving the room, the look on Steve's face would have told her it wasn't going to be much of a challenge.


End file.
